Last year, my dad got a shelty mix, Lillie. Right up until he got her from a rescue group, Daddy was adamant that he did not want another dog. Lillie is sometimes called Sea Biscuit because of the warp speed at which she can run around the house or yard in circles; she was immediately spoiled with toys and treats.
Their previous, dog, Foxy was hit by a car and found in their driveway on a drizzly October day in 2004. My mom found her. They were late to Miles' first birthday party because he was burying her out at the cabin site. He was recovering from open heart surgery. He felt responsible for her death because his surgery delayed the cabin's completion and she wasn't fenced in out there. It was true devastation to him at that point in time. When they got to the party, you could tell he'd been crying. Open heart surgery is notorious for severe depression during recovery anyway; now he had a dead dog to break his heart even more. But I digress...they did open their hearts again to Lillie last year.
Like any good beauty pageant emcee, I should tell you that Lillie's favorite activities include eating too many Beggin' Strips and chewing on shoes left on the porch. She has a fluffy, shiny, black and tan coat and she can run like the wind but often lays in the sunshine to regain her energy for the next go-round.
At first, my mom claimed to be aggravated by the headache of another dog. She complained about the little things. Then Lillie made an obvious gesture to my mom. She sure did love following Daddy around the farm, but she also showed that her true adoration went to my mom. She is very affectionate when she sees my mom coming into view. I'm sure you can guess how this ends. No! Lillie did not pass away. My mom loves Lillie and can't keep from talking about what a good dog she is!
Fast forward to 2009. I received a picture message on Friday of a precious little dog but no text to tell me about it. I called to ask, expecting it to be a dog that wandered up, with my mom just practicing sending texts with pictures from her phone. Nope! My dad added Butch to the family! Butch is a border collie puppy and he is an absolute doll. My mom and dad both love him! My dad had called to tell my mom that he was bringing home a 'really pretty surprise' and my mom had assumed he'd show up with a new calf. When she pulled into the driveway, there was Daddy, working on the fence with Butch jumping around his feet.
In case you're interested, Lillie and Butch have hit it off just swimmingly. Lillie is larger but they are not dissuaded from playing their little two-chamber hearts out. Oh, and my mom has taken to Butch right away. In fact, she's the one that named him Butch.
Just sittin' on the backsteps of Mawmaw's house: Here you see Lola and Miles meeting Butch, or Butchie, as Lola calls him.
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